Eyeglass protector



April 1, 1947. A. J. TURNER EYE-GLASS PROTECTOR Filed Sept. 2, 1941 Patented Apr. 1, 1947 *EYEGLASS PROTECTOR :Archibald vJ. "Turner,

Chicago, r 111., --'assignor' to Wilson iS port-ing vGoods Company, Chicago, 111., la"corporation tcftDelaware --Applioation-september 2, 1941'flSerialJNo5409,207

iinvention'i-is'fthemse :of :the? bony. structure of the --headizofra'rswearer drieliidihgithe' cheek bones to {support v a oombinedi frame and: guard members, sand :by taking advantage rof mechanical shapes ,iandtarrangement toxprovide an eye guard and reya-glass tprotectoryof rmaximnm strength and :efl'ectiveness and minimum 'iinterference with wearer vis on.

' Whi1e-:.primarily :concerned withpeyeeglass pro- -teetionthe 'deviceziszreeommended fcrzthose with normal vision as Well; zsirrcer it's'mse ifrequentlyl will prevent :teyeiniury *Which ;is tgquite :oommon some eportsssu ChgaS tennisghaskethall; softball, vhandballzandifothers. v l

i-Arnong otherjeatureszzandzobjects:of invenw tion it is the improved ,cushioning :of i the :metal frame andi-guard 'structureisoxas 5 toiattain" maxeimum resistance tosho-ck.

v My improved guardiis provided 'Withr'a cushion "across the-topvandialong the sideszo'f a wearers in eyes which is extremely absorbent so that it iper- -forms the :dual .iunetionof icushion and: sweat band. :Thesides of the rCllShiOnfiIe shapedto :receive the templepieces of eye-glasses without discom- 1 forti'and to retain themragainst displacement. l The ;cushio-n isarranged with simple-and easrily attaching :means to provider for "firm attach- :ment of the; cushion, t-.-th.e frame, but whichiwi-ll :permit .easy -izemova1zof :the ,CllShiOl'l for cleaning 101* replacement. I

The shape and mouiitingrarrangement of ;a :LIQ'WEI guardzelementrisaisuch asznot to interfere -simnltaneously with ithe vision of both :eyes zthroughoutealrnajoigportiontof its length and to providea ilaligeawholly .unohstructedr-forward and adownwardyisnalarea. y t g vOther, objects and; advantages :of invention .Will be apparent :from the following ;description :andthe-accom-nanying drawings.

:In theedrawings, .of whichdhere :is one. sheet:

1:531, is =a iview-g 1D; trontzelevation :ofwmy imi proved "eye glassgg uardi and eye -proteotor; as ;it

z'appearsiinuseh V I Fig. :2 .is asidei elevational view ofwtheaguard showninlFi .j I

to eye-glass protectors,

, :2 Fig. 3 is aplan'viewofthesguard; Fig. Allis a section through the protector gtaken infi'the planeiof.thetlinei;14zof Fig.1; 7 t

:Fig. 51s a viewiiniperspective looking upwardly 5 .at Ithewearer from arpoint-- well r-belo'w lhis iflye level, can-d :irom one sirla'ishowing ;t-he"lack1 jofarsimultaneous obstruction of the vvision iof :both eyes by i'thelower :crossharLand I'Eig. a6 is a view similarztoiEig.r5,:but;fr0mithe my other :side COf :the wearer,- this" :view and fig. 1-55 also illustrating-the largafree unobstructedvisual area below the, 1ower1cross bar. 7

Referring to the vdrawings .rin-tdetailianeeyeglass protector -A-. embodying my -ipresentainveni-tion hasia cast ;,or moldedguardistructure 110, 2, tiresilient:cushioningmad ti -andrelastic iastening straps l2randwl3. a i

' The -:cast 501" molded r guard ;:-member' -l 0,- -WhiQh may he of aluminum it or 10171191 :lightrmetaLmr 7 molded plastic, has a marginal frame-comprising 'zaibrow portio-nwldwcurved tmfitr-acrossthe forehead .rof a-wearer,-.-but having slightly larger-radii than the i proposed wwearers forehead {b0 admit the resilient=pad- H between the frame-andethe wwearens forehead. :Eormed integrally with the brow portion-t4lof the marginal frame-area ;pair' a of depending side portions l 5 and -16. -I'he;1ower ends of.-these-. side portions are curved forwardly, and are shaped to fit over theicheek hones of 30 the wearer to; provide afirm-supportiorrtheguard magainst inward and "downward stresses imposed upon it in use. The depending side portions are -curved to be spaced outwardly from the Jade of the @wearera similarlyrto theabrow portion -m to i ireeeiv rportions oi the padal l. v i

The marginal frame of "the guardis provided with arnumber ofcelongated slots 11, eachu of which risnadaptedato receive :and retain one of the resilient button-like .pro-tuberances rI 8 formed in- 40 tegrally with the pad or cushionAJ. .rThe 'cush- 11011" l=1 I ;preferably is-madefrom alatex; foam which may beamolded inaisuitable mo1d,- not i1lustrated, :aIidethe button-like protuberances l8: may-be :molded (of theysame latexjoam material, .orthey 4111357 he-pf solida-resilient rubber. ,iEach oi the proa tuberanees 1 is T molded with 1 a neck portioni of subwstantiauy the same cross -section-.-as the; slotted opening 3!! in *which iit-tis ito be r nounteql p t .is provided with somewhat enlarged head portions 2,2 .tozretain lthe pro-tuberance ,in theQpening -and prevent the mad :from accidentally tbecomin ggde- -tached1 rQmIthe frame.

The inner i face 0f "the --cushion l l which iis adapted to :rest against the brow and cheeks of :5 the wearer preferalqly has pthetskinelike covering a very important additional function by being constructed in this manner. The cushion is molded with a pair of recesses 19 and-2U on each 1 side thereof to receive the temple pieces of eyeglasses 2|. These recesses preferably are quite shallow so as to contact with light resiliency the temple pieces of the glasses to assist in maintaining them in position on the wearer, but at the same time, preventing pressure which would be apt to cause discomfort by pressing the temple pieces tightly against the wearers head.

An upper transverse guard member 24 is supported on end posts 25 and 26, formed integrally with the frame and with the member 24. The member 24 is curved forward slightly, butmaterially less than the curvature of the frame brow portion l4, so that the ends of the upper guard member 24 are spaced well forwardly from the sides of the frame in order to protect the outer ends of the eye-glasses, the central portion of the member 24 being closer to the frame member l4 so as to interfere less with upward vision. A pair of intermediate support posts 21 and 28 are connected from the brow member I4 to points adjacent the outer ends of the guard member 24 and a centralsupport post 29 likewise is connected from'the brow portion [4 tothe guard member 24. This structure provides an extremely strong bracing for the upper guard member 24, combined with 'a minimum amount of interference with wearer vision.

connection with'the side posts This construction provides a triangular sup- '*porting frame portion ate'achend of the transverse guard member 30 which is of "great strength, ,the posts 34 and 35 having the additional function of supporting the member 30 against down- "ward stresses'which frequently are imposed in use, as when theguard is struck by a ball or by another player. 7 c

The lower transverse guard member is in the form ofa rounded V shape in plan, best illustrated in Fig. 4, the central portion extending forwardlya distance considerably in advance of the central portion of the upper transverse guard member. The purpose forthus carrying the lower transverse guard member 30 forward at its central' portion is three-fold: First, it provides greater clearancefor the nose of the wearer; secend, it increases greatly the downward-forward vision of the'wearer, and third, it'does not produce a large blind spot as is the case with a straight or only slightly curved or bent bar.

The reason for this substantial absence of blind spot lies in the fact that where the two sides of the guard member thus are disposed with their axes offset angularly from each other, what is blocked off from the vision of one eye, is not blocked off from the other. In other words, the portion of the Visual field of one eye which is blocked off is not coextensive with the blockedoif portion of the field of vision of the other eye.

'This is clearly apparent from Figs. 5 and 6. In.

Fig. 5 the narrow guard bar 30 blocks off a narrow angularly disposed strip of vision from the wearers right eye, but the left eye is not blocked off from this same field. In Fig. 6 the reverse is true. In actual tests it has been demonstrated that whereas a substantially straight bar producesa blind spot throughout its entire length, the lower bar of the present construction produces only a small diamond shaped blind spot in the region of the apex of the V, so small as to be unnoticed in the normal activity of a sport.

It willbe noted in Fig. 1, that for normal forward and lateral vision, the visual area of the guard is completely open and unobstructed, while a similar examination of Fig. 5 shows'thatthe same is true for downward'and forward vision. The complete open and unobstructedconditionof these two visual areas permits the wearer to engage in such sports as tennis, basketball, softball, handball, and the like, without visible obstruction, and the wearer soon becomes entirely unconscious of the fact that he is wearing the guard.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modificationsmay be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not Wish to be limited to the precise details of construction as set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes within the scope of the appended claims. 1 j

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is: I r

1. An eye-glass protector comprising a strong marginal frame curved to fit across a wearers brow, a pair of depending side frame portions integral with the brow portion, the lower ends of the depending" side portions curving forwardly and inwardly and adapted to be supported over transversely of the frame near the upper end thereof, and positioned forwardly therefrom; and

a. plurality of support posts from the frame to the upper guard bar, the space between the guard bars being free and unobstructed throughout the width of the frame. a

2. An eye-glass protector comprising a strong marginal frame of flattened section and inverted U-shape, the web of the U being curved to fit across a wearers brow and the sides thereof being curved forwardly and adapted to overlie a frontal portion of the cheek bones for support, said sides terminating short of the chin of awearer, a forwardly projecting support at each side of the frame near the brow portion, a transverse guard member connected to said supports and interconnecte at horizontally spaced intervals upwardly to the brow portion, and projectinglforward at I 7 its ends from the frame and close to the frame at. its center, a pair of forwardly projecting sup ports at the lower ends of the frame sides, and a transverse guard member carried by the lower supports, the lower transverse member being substantially V-shaped in plan but straight in elevation to provide fields of largely non-coextensive visual interference for the two eyes of a wearer to minimize blind spot area.

3. An eye-glass protector comprising a marginal frame of fiat sectional shape, having a substantially U-shaped transverse top portion adapted to conform to a wearers brow, a pair of separate and forwardly curved depending side frame portions carried by the ends of the U- shaped top portion and shaped to be supported against rearward and lateral stresses by fitting over the cheek bones and terminating short of the chin of a, wearer, a, forwardly projecting support frame carried by each of the forward curving side portions, and a narrow transverse guard bar supported by the forwardly projecting support frames, said guard bar being in the form of a horizontally disposed V, with its apex projecting forwardly to provide non-coextensive visual areas for each eye of a wearer for maximum overlapping of an obstructed visual area of one eye with an unobstructed visual area of the other eye.

4. An eye-glass protector comprising a strong, rigid, marginal frame, including a portion curved transversely to fit across a wearers brow, and having a pair of integral depending side portions to extend downwardly along the sides of a wearers face, the lower ends of the side portions being curved forwardly and inwardly to overlie frontal marginal portions of a wearers cheek bones to resist rearward and lateral stresses, a brow element projecting forwardly from the curved brow portion of the marginal frame, and a thin, rigid guard bar having its ends rigidly supported on the depending side portions of the frame and curved forwardly therefrom to clear a wearers nose, the space below the guard bar, and between the guard bar and the brow element, being free, open, and unobstructed, to provide a large, free visual field, said brow element and said guard bar providing the only connections between said side portions below said transversely curved portion.

5. An eye-glass protector comprising, in combination, a support including a strong marginal frame of relatively flat section having a curved brow portion adapted to fit transversely across a wearers brow, integral downwardly extending side frame portions at the ends of the brow portion curved forwardly and inwardly to fit over the cheek bones of a wearer, and a pad of resilient material contiguous and conforming to the inner surface of said marginal frame to engage the wearers skin, said marginal frame having a series of spaced apertures in the brow and side frame portions thereof, and said pad including on the surface adjacent said marginal frame a series of integral resilient button-like tabs of oblong shape positioned to fit into said apertures and extend therethrough, said button-like tabs having head portions embracing the outer surface of said marginal frame firmly to hold the pad in place during use, said head portions being of relatively flat section so as to be easily deformed and compressed manually for passage through the apertures whereby to effect quick removal and installation of the pad; a pair of vertically spaced transvers guard bar-s secured at their ends to said side frame portions, said guard bars being curved forwardly intermediate their ends normally to clear the wearers face, the curvature and vertical spacing of said bars being such as to limit interference with the wearers vision; and means bracing one of the guard bars intermediate the ends thereof.

ARCHIBALD J. TURNER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,694,291 Sywert Dec. 4, 1928 2,105,607 McMillan Jan. 18, 1938 1,060,220 White Apr. 29, 1913 924,613 Hellawell June 8, 1909 2,100,553 Schutt Nov, 30, 1937 1,523,521 Goodman Jan. 20, 1925 2,281,152 Hollingsworth Apr. 28, 1942 2,020,249 Shibe Nov. 5, 1935 

